How much debt do McNeese State fine and studio arts graduates have?

The median federal loan balance is $23,615, which ranks 3rd lowest of 5 fine and studio arts bachelor's programs in Louisiana. That works out to about $250 a month over 10 years.

Is a fine and studio arts degree from McNeese State worth it?

On the numbers, yes for most students. Debt equals 76% of first-year earnings, against a national median of 97%.

McNeese State Fine and Studio Arts (Bachelor's): Tuition, Graduate Salary, and Debt

Q: Do McNeese State fine and studio arts graduates stay in Louisiana?

Most do. 78% (21 of 27) were working in Louisiana one year after graduating.

Bachelor's in Fine and Studio Arts
Public university
Lake Charles, LA
About 14 graduates a year

College Scorecard June 2026 release · BLS wages May 2025

The short answer

McNeese State fine and studio arts graduates earn more than graduates of most fine and studio arts programs nationally, $31,226 in their first year. The typical graduate leaves with $23,615 in federal loans, close to the national median of $25,402. One other Louisiana program reports higher pay.

First-year earnings$31,22685th percentile of 384 programs nationally

Median federal debt$23,6153rd lowest of 5 Louisiana programs

Debt-to-earnings76%Louisiana median 92%, national 97%

How it compares

Each figure is the median for graduates of the program. The Louisiana and national columns are the medians across all fine and studio arts bachelor's programs that report the figure.

	McNeese State	Louisiana	National
Earnings, 1 year after graduating	$31,226	$23,405	$24,548
Median federal debt at graduation	$23,615	$23,615	$25,402
Debt as share of first-year pay	76%	92%	97%
Programs compared		5	384

Debt and first-year pay at every Louisiana fine and studio arts program

Programs in the upper left give graduates higher pay for less debt. Dashed lines mark the Louisiana medians.

McNeese StateOther Louisiana programs

Hover over or tap a dot to see the school. Only programs that report both earnings and debt are shown.

Paying back the loans

On a standard 10-year plan, the median debt means a payment of about $250 a month, or 9.6% of a graduate's typical monthly pay in the first year.

Where graduates work, and what the pay is worth

78% of graduates (21 of 27) were working in Louisiana one year after graduating. Prices in the Lake Charles area are about 14% below the national average, so a $31,226 salary here buys what about $36,372 buys in a typical US city.

Careers this field leads to

These are the jobs that the federal crosswalk from fields of study to occupations links to fine and studio arts, largest first. Pay is the median across all experience levels.

Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education

$59,850

Median pay in Louisiana. 15,210 people work in this job in Louisiana. Nationally, jobs are projected to stay about the same in number from 2025 to 2035, with about 63,500 openings a year. Typical education to start: bachelor's degree.

Bottom 10%: $47,590Top 10%: $79,720

Property Appraisers and Assessors

$62,910

Median pay in Louisiana. 600 people work in this job in Louisiana. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 4% from 2025 to 2035, with about 5,200 openings a year. Typical education to start: bachelor's degree.

Bottom 10%: $45,300Top 10%: $105,190

Art Directors

$83,640

Median pay in Louisiana. 160 people work in this job in Louisiana. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 4% from 2025 to 2035, with about 12,200 openings a year. Typical education to start: bachelor's degree, plus 5 years or more of related work experience.

Bottom 10%: $56,780Top 10%: $187,000

Photographers

$36,830

Median pay in Louisiana. 510 people work in this job in Louisiana. Nationally, jobs are projected to shrink 1% from 2025 to 2035, with about 10,700 openings a year. Typical education to start: high school diploma or equivalent.

Bottom 10%: $19,180Top 10%: $70,310

About McNeese State

In-state tuition and fees	$8,489 / year
Out-of-state tuition and fees	$9,989 / year
Average net price after aid	$12,493 / year
Admission rate	78%
Graduation rate (within 6 years)	47%
Undergraduate students	5,005

Fine and Studio Arts ranks 12th of 17 bachelor's programs at McNeese State by first-year earnings. The top three are Nursing ($77,239), Engineering ($75,566), and Diagnostic and Treatment Professions ($57,964).

Common questions

The median graduate earns $31,226 one year after graduating. The median across fine and studio arts bachelor's programs in Louisiana is $23,405.

About this data

Earnings and debt only include students who received federal financial aid (grants or loans).
Earnings only count graduates who were working and not enrolled in more school. Graduates who went straight to further study are not included.
Debt only includes federal loans. Private loans and credit cards are not counted.
Some schools with several campuses report one combined figure for all of them. We count each of those schools once, and leave them out of Louisiana comparisons when their main campus is in another state.
Scorecard figures describe graduating classes from several years ago. BLS wages are from May 2025.
School-level numbers like tuition, admission rate, and graduation rate are for the whole school, not the fine and studio arts program.

Sources

U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, field of study and institution files, June 2026 release
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025 to 2035
Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities, 2024
NCES, CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk, and IPEDS institution directory, 2024

Fine and Studio Arts bachelor's programs in Louisiana, ranked5 programs by pay and debt Fine and Studio Arts bachelor's programs in the US, ranked384 programs by pay and debt All McNeese State programs, ranked18 programs by pay and debt